


Blinded Me With Science

by kirkspocklady, MelodicMadness



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Did I Mention Fluff, M/M, fluff with a huge side of angst, mature warning for later chapters, nerdy boys falling in love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-12
Updated: 2013-08-30
Packaged: 2017-12-23 04:55:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/922239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kirkspocklady/pseuds/kirkspocklady, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelodicMadness/pseuds/MelodicMadness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Newton Geiszler has always sort of been his own brand of odd, but when he unexpectedly falls for the quiet, incredibly nerdy boy in his English class, he finds that there's another oddball in the world made just for him. </p><p>(In other words, what kind of fandom would it be without your obligatory High School AU? We know it's your guilty pleasure. Don't lie.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Boy Meets Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt expects nothing exciting when he goes to school today. He certainly didn't expect meeting someone who would quickly become his best friend.

A beam of light shot through the curtains of a window, landing on a young man sleeping within his bed. He began to stir, pulling the covers up a little bit higher to combat the chilly October air. Soon, “Imperial March” began blaring at top volume. A hand emerged from the cocoon of blankets to stop the alarm. The hand retreated back into the blankets, phone in tow. The next half hour was filled with tweets, reblogs, and liked statues until a loud banging came from the door.

“Newt Geiszler! You better be ready for school in the next ten minutes!” came a shrill voice from outside his bedroom door.

“Yeah, yeah! I’ll be right out, Mom!” he replied as he rolled out of bed and grabbed his glasses off the bedside table. He picked at the bandage on his right arm protecting his newly tattooed skin. Just a little longer and he could reveal the Godzilla themed sleeve he’d designed. Newt then fished around his room for a clean shirt, picking up a few and smelling them. He shrugged and grabbed the least offensive smelling item and pulled it over his head. He sighed as he grabbed his school supplies, which basically consisted of a few pens and a notebook full of half-assed school notes covered in tattoo designs and drawings of reptiles.

He slowly made his way to the front door, mumbling a goodbye to his mother, before leaving the house. Going to school was the last thing he wanted to do today, well, everyday, but he forced his legs to move anyway. “Why do I feel like today is going to suck?” he muttered to himself.

\----

The warning bell for first period echoed throughout the halls and Newt closed his locker and began walking towards his English class. He got through the door right as the final bell rang and he was forced to take a seat in the front row of the class, which he took begrudgingly. The teacher jumped right into his lecture on the symbolism in _The Great Gatsby,_ whichthey’d just read, and Newt zoned out within seconds. He began doodling different little reptiles all over his notes, not hearing a word the teacher had to say.

At one point he glanced over at a small group of people beside him who whispered excitedly to each other. He sometimes wished he had a group of friends to talk to in all his classes, but at the same time, he realized that not many people wanted to talk about the strange evolution of the teeth of the tuatara or the grossly toxic saliva of a komodo dragon. He had a few friends, a rather lively bunch of people, that he cared for, but their schedules were pretty different from his. And as far as relationships went? Well, most of them had just been a pain and helped in releasing some sexual frustration more than anything else.

Yeah, having a few more awesome friends and a working relationship sounded pretty good at that moment.

The teacher asked a question, which Newt completely missed thanks to his unexpected moment of self-analysis. However, a quiet voice picked up from the back, and Newt turned to look behind him. Even though he’d missed the question, the answer the boy delivered was eloquent and observant. He stared for a little bit longer, trying to remember the kid’s name. Humphrey? Hubert? Henry? He wasn’t even sure he’d heard the boy talk before now.

“Yes, Hermann! That’s a wonderful observation,” the teacher announced. Hermann, oh yeah. Where the hell did he get Humphrey?

His gaze lingered a little while longer on Hermann. He absent-mindedly observed his features; a gaunt face, a haircut that greatly mimicked the fashion sense of the 40s, russet brown eyes, and slender fingers that gripped a pen and were furiously taking notes. As for his fashion sense, his clothes were pretty darn nerdy, especially the cardigan, but then he had an odd yet charming scarf wrapped loosely around his pale neck. Sure, Hermann wasn’t the most attractive guy he’d seen, but that didn’t stop Newt’s mind from having a brief fantasy of kissing the guy senseless.

The bell for the end of class rang, jolting him from his fantasies. He wasn’t sure how he had just wasted fifteen minutes daydreaming about Hermann, but that was a sure sign he _needed_ to get laid, and soon. He gathered his meager belongings and followed his few friends out of the classroom, glancing back to see Hermann bending over to pick up his backpack. He whipped his head back forward and proceeded out the classroom and on to his next class.

\----

As soon as the bell for lunch rang, the students poured out of their classrooms, eager to get away from the school books and talk with their friends again. Newt followed a few of his friends to the lunchroom but got lost in the sea of people lining up to buy the awful things the school called food. He barely made an attempt to get back with them, scouting the area for a few seconds before getting bored and leaving the cafeteria. He pulled a sandwich out from his backpack and wandered off in search of somewhere more peaceful to wait out the lunch period.

Without knowing why, his feet had led him to the library. Food wasn’t allowed but he brought his sandwich in anyway. Before he even sat down, he spotted a familiar form hunched over a book at one of the distant tables. He frowned upon realizing that Hermann probably always ate alone. However, it wasn’t like it was _his_ duty to provide the boy with some company so he remained at his seat, glancing over every now and then.

He was eating peacefully for a while until Hermann shifted, giving him a glance of the title of the book. He nearly choked on a bite of his sandwich when he read the words, “Statistical Molecular Thermodynamics.” That was _not_ a high school level textbook. Suddenly he felt more inclined to walk over and introduce himself, but the bell quickly ruined that opportunity. With a frown, he picked up the remains of his lunch and left the library to head for his final period.

\----

Although Newt enjoyed art class, he was extremely glad for the day to be over. He dragged himself out the front gates of the school and began his walk home when he realized he forgot his sketchbook in his locker. There were some designs in there he really wanted to expand on so leaving it in the locker overnight was not an option. With a defeated sigh, he turned on his heel and headed back inside.

He got to his locker and grabbed his sketchbook, making sure that he wasn’t forgetting anything else, before turning around to leave. It was a short walk outside this time with most of the school having cleared out. He stopped when he reached the sidewalk, noticing a small silhouette in the shade of the building. He recognized the odd scarf and identified the worried looking boy to be Hermann.

Newt hesitated shortly, then started walking in the direction of his house, but he barely took a few steps before he stopped in his tracks. If he hadn’t been ogling the boy for half of his English period that day, he probably would have just kept walking by without even noticing him. With an aggravated groan, he turned on his heel and headed back to Hermann.

“Hey...Hermann, right?” Newt asked. The other boy turned to Newt with wide-eyes and looked him up and down. After a moment, he gave a gentle nod and looked back at his feet.  
  
“Is something wrong?” Newt asked, taking a smaller step forward.

“N-no. I just missed the bus,” Hermann said quietly, “and I don’t know how I’m going to get home.”

“That sucks,” Newt responded. And he was just going to leave it at that, but Hermann looked despondent and scared, and Newt would have felt like shit just leaving him alone. “Er, if you don’t have any other way home, maybe you can just come over to my house and one of my parents can bring you back to your place. I mean, they aren’t home right now but my mom is supposed to be back from work soon.”  
  
Hermann raised his eyes at the unexpected kindness. “Really?” He asked with a slight quiver in his voice. “Th-that would be kind of you, Newton.”

“You can call me Newt,” Newt said with a smile. His eyes didn’t miss the blush that took over Hermann’s cheeks, and something about it made Newt’s breath hitch. “And just in case it helps you to remember...” he reached a hand up to his ear and tapped behind it, pointing to the small orange newt he had tattooed there.

Embarrassed, Hermann nearly retreated into his scarf and stammered, “Y-yes, thank you, Newt.”  
  
Newt started to walk ahead, motioning for Hermann to follow him. “Here, I live this way.”  
  
The walk was short, but Hermann was too shy to fill it with conversation, and Newt was distracted trying to get the images of Hermann blushing out of his head. Things got a bit less awkward when they finally reached Newt’s house. As he’d predicted, they would be alone for a while. Which actually didn’t help the situation much, but he decided to be a good host and at least try to make his guest comfortable.

“Want something to drink?” he asked as he dug through the fridge.  
  
“I’d like some water, please,” Hermann responded politely. Newt wasn’t sure if the guy always talked so formally but he certainly didn’t mind it.  
  
Newt pulled out a water bottle and a coke from the fridge. “Here, catch,” he announced as he threw the bottle. Hermann looked up in time to see the bottle coming for him but he fumbled and the bottle fell to the floor. Newt flinched and said quickly, “Ah, sorry.”  
  
Hermann blushed yet again and nuzzled his nose down into his scarf. “My depth perception is...lacking.” He heard a chuckle leave Newt and he prepared himself for an insult, but one never came.

“Me too, buddy. Me too. That’s why I don’t do sports.” Newt gave him a sincere smile and flopped down on the couch. He patted the seat next to him as an invitation.

Hermann took the seat but he allowed as much distance as possible between the two of them. He quietly sipped his water, looking at the decorations placed around the living room. Among the trinkets and flower vases, he spotted family photos. Newt had both of his parents in all of them, and together they all looked so happy. Even in the more recent photos where Newt looked to be in high school, he was standing with his parents and grinning widely. So different from his own, broken family.

Hermann fought away the lump that formed in this throat.

Newt noticed the heavy silence that formed in the room and tried to break it. He inched a bit closer to Hermann and turned his body to face him. “So, uh, I noticed you were reading a book earlier.” No, _duh_ , Newt.

“Oh, yes. I picked it up recently.” Then Hermann went back to drinking his water.

Not much of a talker, Newt noticed. “Physics is great, but I’ve always enjoyed biology more.”

“Yes, biology is also interesting, though I admit I haven’t read many books on the subject,” Hermann added. He felt incredibly awkward. They both did. He recognized Newt’s earnest efforts to make some conversation so he tried to think of something to ask. “Is that newt your only tattoo?”

Newt beamed at the question. “Oh man, not even. I have plenty more. Designed ‘em all myself, too. Wanna see?”

“Er, sure?” Hermann was worried where these _other_ tattoos might be.  
  
That was enough of a ‘yes’ for Newt.

He began by showing off the tattoo on his right arm. It was time to remove the bandages and he was eager to see the end result. “This one here,” he said as he unfolded the bandages and put them off to the side, “is my new baby. It’s kind of an exaggerated design, but I think that helps it stand out from my other tattoos.”

“It’s... Godzilla?” Hermann asked with uncertainty. Newt nodded his head and grinned widely.

Hermann wasn’t too sure what would prompt him to get the monster tattooed on his skin, but the reason didn’t matter. The tattoo was beautiful and it obviously took some great skill to design. The linework was varied, _energetic_ , and the detail in the scales and destroyed buildings was staggering. “That’s incredible,” Hermann practically whispered in awe. “It’s even more astonishing that you designed it all.”

Hermann now had three things going for him: he was smart, cute in a dorky way, and he liked Newt’s tattoos. Newt wasn’t sure how he hadn’t noticed this guy before, but he realized with trepidation that he was quickly becoming fond of him.

Newt chuckled, “Wow, thanks! I’m glad you like ‘em. I just love those old kaiju movies, y’know? I’ve got another one you might like...” He grabbed at the hem of his shirt and slowly lifted it up from his body. He arched his back and pushed his shoulder out, emphasizing the inked skin. “This one here’s a bush viper. It took a while to design, even longer to get it on me.” He had pulled his shirt completely off now, showing the turquoise and yellow snake that wrapped around his left pec and shoulder.

Hermann scanned his eyes over the tattoo, admiring everything about it. He knew he’d never get a tattoo himself, but he appreciated the passion Newt had in his work. His eyes didn’t stay long on the tattoo, though. After all, Newt had just bared his entire chest to him. He gawked at Newt’s shirtlessness, a very visible blush appearing on his face.

The gawking didn’t go unnoticed. Newt smirked and tried scooting closer to Hermann right when he heard the front door open. They both jumped and Newt quickly squirmed back into his shirt. “Mom! You’re home early!” he exclaimed with forced sincerity, scratching nervously at the back of his head. Hermann still stared large-eyed at Newt’s now-clothed chest and didn’t look away until Newt’s mom spoke up.

“Yeah, it wasn’t a very busy day-- oh, who’s this?” she asked.

Hermann stood up and introduced himself, “Hello, Mrs. Geiszler. I'm Hermann Gottlieb.”

Newt chimed in, “Yeah, he missed the bus and I was wondering if you could give him a ride?”  
  
“Of course! I’d be happy to. Where do you live, Hermann?”  
  
“I live at 832 Woodford Avenue.” Hermann responded. “Thank you very much, Mrs. Geiszler.”

Hermann bent over to grab his things so he could be taken home. After gathering his belongings he turned and gave a shy smile to Newt, “Thank you so much for having me over, Newt.”

Newt gave him a sincere smile and a small wave. “Anytime.” Hermann turned to leave and followed Newt’s mom outside and into the car.

Once they had driven away, Newt smacked himself on the forehead and slid back onto the couch and mumbled, “Smoooooth.” He hoped that Hermann wanted to see him more, and that the awkwardness that ensued between them today didn't scare him off for good. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This little project came to fruition after we both mentioned how badly we wanted to read a high school AU for Newmann. Then we went, "...Why don't WE write it?!"  
> So now it's actually happening, and it's kind of super ridiculous, but we hope you enjoy it!


	2. Exchanging Numbers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More bonding, and Newt slowly but surely falling in love with his new friend.  
> Alternate chapter title: These little assholes need to stop being so cute.

Newt made sure to get to English class with plenty of time the next morning. He strolled in and saw the seat in the back next to Hermann was free. Newt slid into the chair and dropped his bag on the floor next to him. Hermann glanced over at Newt as he sat and gave a small smile before turning to grab his notebook to take notes.

The teacher began speaking but, as usual, Newt was doing other things. This time though, instead of sketching, he began writing notes for Hermann. The first one read "glad you got home safe." He folded it up tightly and flicked it over to Hermann’s desk.

Hermann saw it and furrowed his eyebrows at it.

 _What’s this?_ he mouthed.

 _Open it_.Newt mouthed back.

Hermann squinted at Newt but then turned his attention to the paper. Hermann peeled it open and read the message. Much to his displeasure, he couldn’t stop the blush that rose to his face. He wrote a small note in reply, although the slight shaking in his hand made it wobbly. He folded it up and flicked it in Newt’s direction. Well, he _tried_ to aim it toward Newt but it ended up hitting the floor instead.

Newt just smiled and discreetly picked it up when the teacher turned his back. ' _All thanks to you, Newt_.'

Seeing his own name, written so delicately by Hermann’s hand, made his stomach do a flip. He quickly wrote another note, pen already in his hand. 'what are you doing for lunch?'

 _'I’m going to be in the library_.'

'would you mind some extra company?'

 _'Your company would be most welcome_.'

Newt got the note and read it over at least five times. He couldn’t stop the smile that lit up his face.

'great see you then :)'

Newt tossed the note back to Hermann and saw the other boy give the note a small smile as he folded it up and slipped it in his pocket. Newt could hardly wait for the next few periods to go by so he could spend lunch with Hermann.

\----

At last, a few boring classes later, the lunch bell rang and Newt gathered his belongings as quickly as he could. He made to leave the classroom, but his friends stopped him before he could get to the door.

“Where you off to in such a hurry, Newt?” Raleigh asked, blocking off the exit.

“Yeah, mate! We’ve barely seen you these past few days.” Chuck spoke up.

“Oh, yeah. Sorry guys. But I’ve got somewhere to be!” Newt angled himself to try and leave.

“Oooh! Got a hot date, Newton?” Chuck teased, punching Newt in the shoulder.

Newt glared, “No, okay? Now can I please leave?”

“C’mon, you can catch up with your friends for a few minutes.” Raleigh scoffed and grabbed Newt’s arm.

“Yeah, we’re going to In-N-Out!  Come on!” Chuck cheered.

The two friends dragged him across the campus and out to the parking lot, despite his protesting the entire time. They took it as him being difficult on purpose, since Newt normally found joy in being a pain in the ass. They brought him clear across the campus and to Raleigh’s blue Jeep Wrangler. Mako, Raleigh’s incredibly close friend (so close that Newt had suspicions they were more than just friends), sitting in the car waiting for them when they got there.

“Hey, Newt!” She called as she opened the door to the car and got out. “Long time no see!”  

Newt rolled his eyes, “Hey, Mako.” But then he looked at his watch and visibly freaked out. “It’s been ten minutes, guys! Now you’ve really made me late!”

Mako smacked Raleigh’s shoulder. “You’re keeping him against his will?! You let him go,” she frowned.

Raleigh sighed and let go of Newt’s arm and exchanged annoyed glances with Chuck, though Chuck was displaying a lot more signs of annoyance. Raleigh sighed, then responded first. “Okay, okay. I don’t know who you want to see so badly, but just maybe hang out with us sometime soon, yeah?”

Newt softened at Raleigh’s understanding, “Yeah.” He gave a thankful smile at Mako and ran off towards the library. As he reached the library, he peeked through the window and noticed Hermann’s figure, sitting all alone at one of the few tables. His head was hanging low, a large frown upon his face, and his hands were nervously playing with the end of his scarf.Newt hurried through the doors and over to Hermann. He tapped Hermann on the shoulder gently and smiled, “Hey. I’m so sorry I’m late. Got kidnapped.”

Newt felt a pang of guilt when Hermann turned to face him with watery eyes. He sniffled before speaking, “I-It’s okay. I was becoming worried you wouldn't show up. I apologize for thinking less of you.”

Newt placed himself on the seat, sitting closely to Hermann so he could place an arm around him and give him a reassuring squeeze. “Hey, no need to say sorry, man.” He then removed his arm and dug his hands through his bag to pull out his lunch. “Let’s just enjoy our lunch, okay?” he said with a smile.

Hermann nodded his head and wiped at his eyes.

Newt looked down at the math book in front of Hermann, which, to his dismay, he was currently reading instead of focusing on him. He felt bad making Hermann shut in on himself again. There had to be a way to get him to open up. “So what do you like more? Math or physics?” he finally asked after considering many different options.

“Well, the two are greatly intertwined, physics being a specific application of complex mathematics that pertains to mass and energy--” He stopped when Newt raised an amused eyebrow at him. He then cleared his throat. “I'll simply say that I enjoy both, although astrophysics is the most exciting branch.”

“You like the stars, huh?” The guy was just getting geekier and geekier. And it was awesome.

“Everything about space is fascinating. You think you know what the world is like, but then something comes along that shows how limited our scientific knowledge is, such as some planet that shouldn’t be able to exist, yet it _does_ exist.”

Newt propped his head up on one hand and just watched in admiration as Hermann went on for a little bit more, expressing his awe in all the other aspects of space and dabling in the physics behind a lot of it. He managed to stop himself before going into detail about supernovas. “Ah, but you could read about all of this, couldn’t you?”

“It’s a lot more interesting hearing it coming from you,” Newt told him.

“N-no, I don’t want to waste our entire lunch period,” he said shyly. “What branch of biology do you like?”

“Herpetology, man. Reptiles, amphibians, but mostly reptiles. I just want to know everything about them, maybe even discover new species. There are tons out there we still haven’t found!” Newt’s energy increased tenfold whenever he got a chance to talk about reptiles.

“Is that the reason for the tattoos?” Hermann gestured to the exposed Godzilla taking up most of Newt’s right forearm.

Newt smiled. “You bet. I love the fictional ones and the extinct ones, too. But digging around for bones doesn’t sound as fun as actually going out there and watching live ones, y’know?”

“Quite understandable.” Hermann returned Newt’s smile.

They made small talk after that, Newt doing most of it. He told Hermann that he’d get him to watch some kaiju movies, and that they’d play video games together. He was shocked by himself to be so eager to want to see Hermann more, and not just because he found him cute (which he totally was, and Newt was starting to notice other small things about him like how his eyes weren’t really brown but more hazel, and that he had some _damned_ good cheekbones).

Normally he would’ve been worried that he was just bothering Hermann, but the guy seemed genuinely interested in talking to Newt and he was sharing a few things about himself so that had to be good sign, right?

It was a few minutes before the bell was supposed to ring and Newt finally decided to ask, “Hey, you wanna exchange phone numbers?”

The question took Hermann by surprise and he stammered out his response. “Y-you really want to?”

“Yeah, of course. It’ll make hanging out later easier. That’s cool with you, right?” Newt scratched at the back of his head. He hoped Hermann felt the same about wanting to hang out more.

“That would be wonderful.” Hermann agreed, pulling his scarf up to disguise his oncoming blush.

“Great!” Newt exclaimed. He fished his phone out of his pocket and prepared himself to type. “Okay what’s your number?”

“Oh, I don’t know it,” Hermann admitted. He dug through his bag and pulled out an older phone. “I’m not sure how to find it on here.”

“Let me see it.” Newt took the phone and pulled up messaging, where he typed and sent a message to himself. His own phone buzzed as it received the message. “Here. I just texted myself. Now I have your number, and you can just save mine from here.”

“Thank you,” Hermann said as he took his phone back. He looked down at the message, holding back a smile as he read, “Save this number to your phone as Newt :) _”_ The bell rang before either of them could say anything else.

Newt stood up quickly and gathered his belongings. “My last class is all the way across the campus so I better get going. But call or text me later, okay? See ya!” He clapped his hand on his shoulder then left the room.

Hermann lingered in his seat, smiling at the text. He added Newt to his meager list of only two other contacts before getting out of his seat. His grin never faltered all the way to class.

\----

It was dinner time when Newt got the first text message, his phone buzzing in his pocket. He reached down and grabbed it, checking the new text when his parents were busy talking to each other.

'Hello Newt. I hope you are having a nice evening. -HG'

Newt smiled at the screen, his fingers eager to reply.

'Hey Hermann!! How’re you?'

He set his phone next to his plate and kept eating. He waited a good five minutes, but it felt like an eternity for the reply. The phone buzzed again, catching his parents’ attention.

“Newton, who is that?” his mom asked.

Newt blushed, “The guy you met yesterday.” He held the phone under the table until his mom looked away. Newt glanced at the screen when the coast was clear.

'I’m doing quite well now that we are chatting. -HG'

Newt couldn’t stop the smile that sprung to his lips. He tapped out his reply on the screen.

“What are you smiling at?” his dad teased.

Newt’s attention jerked away from the phone to his dad. The blush on his cheeks deepened. “Nothing. Just, um, some joke.”

His parents exchanged amused glances. His mom spoke in response, “Are you going to be on your phone all night or will you actually eat your food?”

Newt took a huge mouthful of food, attempted to say “There, I ate some food” but with so much mashed potatoes trying to fly out of his mouth, it sounded more like “Mer, ar ay sumfoo.”

His mom smiled, rolling her eyes. “I’ll put your plate in the microwave. Go have fun texting your new friend.”

Newt loudly swallowed the mashed potatoes and got up from his seat, practically running to his room.

He shut the door behind him and let his full smile erupt as he held his phone up to reply.

'Me too. I’m really glad you texted me. :)'

It was another eternity as he awaited the reply. He remembered Hermann had pulled out a flip phone earlier at school. That would explain the lengthy reply times.

'What are you doing right now? -HG'

Newt hopped up into his bed and laid down. He held his phone up at arm’s length above his face as he replied. He thought on his reply for a moment.

'Just finished dinner. I’m thinking of what to do now. You?'

“I’m doing homework. -HG”

'Oh, that sounds... NOT exciting. Have you been doing that since you got home?'

Now it really was a long while before Hermann responded. 'No. There were some problems when I got home. -HG'

It was intentionally vague, Newt realized, and he wasn’t sure if he should prod for more answers. But it also might have been rude of him not to ask. In the end, he opted for prodding. 'Something happen? You okay?'

Another long moment of silence passed by before Newt’s phone buzzed again. He looked at the message and frowned.

'It’s my dad. He was angry again. -HG'

Now Newt definitely wanted to ask more, but it was something he’d talk to him about in person. From just the little bit Hermann gave him, it sounded like the situation with his dad was bad. That thought made him distraught and he really wished he could do more than just send texts. 'I’m really sorry, man. Are you better now?'

Hermann’s response was a bit more immediate that time. 'Yes, thank you for being concerned. Working on homework helps to distract me. -HG'

'I’m here too, ok? If you ever want to get away from him, you’re welcome to come to my house.'

'Thank you. I really don’t deserve this. - HG'

'Nonsense. You deserve to be happy :) And I’m just doing what any friend would do.' Newt hesitated as he wrote the message.

Was Hermann his friend now? He didn’t make friends so easily, but then again, none of the people he met were like Hermann. He was quiet and smart, and mild-mannered, but when it came to a topic he loved, he wasn’t afraid to talk and share his passions. Newt didn’t feel like he had to pretend to be someone else around him.

He almost deleted the last sentence, but he decided to keep it and sent the message. His heart was beating wildly as he hit ‘send’ and he didn’t know why.

'Then you’re a wonderful friend. :-) -HG'

Newt’s heart beat faster if that was even possible. He released a strangled sound, which _no_ , that was  _not_ a squeal. 

They didn't stay up for much longer since it was a school night, but they did exchange a few more texts before bidding each other a good night. 

Newt smiled into his pillow as he slept that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo, got chapter 2 out! Thanks for the lovely feedback! You're all awesome.  
> Next chapter is where drama should start to pick up. Can't let the boys live in peace, now can we?


	3. Star Gazing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt would rather not attend this party but the universe makes it up to him.

As it got closer to the end of October, excited teenagers began planning Halloween parties and events. Raleigh insisted that Newt go to the one his friend Tendo would be hosting, and, although Newt refused to wear a costume, he said he’d at least show up. Raleigh had luckily agreed to the compromise and didn't give him much flack for not wanting to dress up.

He would’ve asked Hermann to join him, but he knew how rowdy people got at Tendo’s parties. _Besides_ , they’d really only been talking for about two weeks now. Would it have been weird to invite him? Newt didn't want to make Hermann feel awkward. They had certainly been spending more time together, though.

Hermann never invited Newt over to his place, and although he never said why, Newt had a good enough idea. In less than a month though, Newt would be able to start _legally_ driving passengers around. Then, he and Hermann wouldn’t be restricted to just his house. He’d tried once before to convince Hermann to go to a movie with him, but he didn’t think it was smart for Newt to drive passengers around illegally, and was pretty adamant about not getting in the car.

Once that obstacle was out of the way though, he’d be dragging Hermann to all the good movies coming out, and whatever other cool things he could think of doing. He kind of stopped questioning at this point why he was so eager to hang out more with Hermann. Newt accepted that he liked him and his feelings were, not so slowly, becoming romantic. He wasn't sure of Hermann's feelings though, so he ended up not inviting him to party.

\----

The night of the party, Newt was still contemplating calling up Hermann and seeing if he wanted to go, but all he did was stare at his phone silently before sighing and stuffing it into his pocket. He left the house and got into his car, driving over to Tendo’s house, trying not to frown the entire time. He could at least try to have fun tonight, right? He liked parties. He liked the energy. Yet, he just couldn’t feel excited for it.

He got out of his car and was bombarded with loud chatting and music as he walked up to the door. After a few knocks, Tendo, dressed in something reminiscent of a 60’s sci-fi robot, opened the door to greet him.

“Heeey, you made it! Raleigh and Chuck were placing bets on whether or not you'd show.” He chuckled but moved over to let him into the house, closing the door behind them.

“Is that the only reason I’m here?” Newt asked with a grin.

“Nah, you’re here to have fun. But I see you didn’t want to wear a costume,” Tendo responded, looking Newt over.

Newt looked Tendo’s costume up and down before saying, “Um, yeah, I thought I’d actually look _not_ like a total dweeb tonight.”

Tendo rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Just means you won’t win my awesome prize for the costume contest!”

“And what’s that?” Newt felt himself yelling to be heard over the music.

“You don’t get to know. You won’t win it anyway,” Tendo said with a cheeky grin.

Newt went to go find Raleigh and the others once he left Tendo. He was curious to know which one bet against him showing up, and also curious about what awful costumes they’d be wearing. He finally spotted the group, but they were looking around frantically, as if searching for someone. As it turned out, they were trying to find Newt. Mako spotted him first and rushed over, concern written into her features. “Newt, thank goodness you’re safe.”

“Okay, that’s a strange way to say hi?”

Raleigh caught up with Mako. He wasted no time, jumping quickly to the point, “Man, you better watch out. We just saw Hannibal lurking outside. I’m pretty sure he’s looking for _you_.”

Newt cursed and looked around, then motioned for everyone to follow him upstairs and away from the crowd. Once at the top, he spoke again. “The bastard’s out of jail already? How the hell did he even know where to find me?”

“He’s a _criminal_. It probably wasn’t that hard,” Chuck told him.

“Damn it, it’s not like I was _trying_ to get him arrested! He shouldn’t have been out dealing drugs in the first place!” Newt ruffled his hair in frustration, but the higher pitch to his voice gave away that he was worried.

“I do not think the details matter to him,” Mako added grimly.

“You think he came here to off me?” Newt asked weakly.

Raleigh shoved him lightly and said in a harsh whisper, “Don’t even joke like that!”

“Who said I was joking?!”  
  
Mako put her hands on both Newt and Raleigh’s shoulders. “Please, calm down, everyone.”  

Newt scratched nervously at his neck. “So what am I supposed to do?” he asked, glancing between his friends.

“You should just try to get out of here,” Chuck offered.

They all nodded in unison and agreed to help sneak him out. Mako ran down the stairs and checked the front yard from the windows. When she didn’t spot anyone, she motioned for the rest to follow. They gave him a hushed goodbye at the door, then he walked outside and headed straight for his car.

Newt noticed a shadowed figure leaning against the door to his yellow ford, but it spoke before he could recognize who it was. “Leaving so soon, Geiszler?”

Newt was certain his heart had just tried to jump out from his throat. He tried to keep his voice calm, not wanting to give Hannibal the satisfaction of scaring him shitless. “What do you want, Hannibal?” he asked firmly.

Hannibal took a few steps closer, a few rings glinting in the moonlight. “They finally let me out. I was in there near a year thanks to you.”

“Look, man, I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to sell you out or anything--” Newt’s sentence ended prematurely when Hannibal flipped open his switchblade and shoved it in Newt’s face.

“Well you did. I’d still be in there if it weren’t for good behavior.” He sneered at Newt, pressing the blade into the skin of his nose.

Newt flinched but didn’t move any further once the point of the blade began to dig into his skin. “Just fucking do what you’re gonna do then, Hannibal. Get it over with.” He squeezed his eyes shut, prepared for excruciating pain, but instead he heard a low chuckle emit from Hannibal.

“Nah, that’s too easy, boy. I don’t want to hurt you physically. Wanna hurt you up here,” he tapped two fingers from his free hand to his temple. “And in here.” He poked the blade to the left side of Newt’s chest, right above his heart.

“That’s _great_. Think you can let me go now?” he asked, feeling less threatened now that a blade wasn’t being shoved up his nose.

Hannibal chuckled, putting the blade back into his pocket. “Just you wait. You won’t be talkin’ back anymore once I’m done with you.”

Newt decided not to say anymore and instead quickly walked around Hannibal to get to the door of his car. Hannibal stood back but continued to watch as Newt drove off, only looking away when he couldn’t spot his car anymore.

Once the adrenaline had faded away, the situation Newt had gotten himself into finally set in. “Oh _shit_ ,” he said quietly, his grip tight on the steering wheel. What was he supposed to do now? What was Hannibal planning and how could he possibly protect himself from it?

Newt quietly panicked as he drove on his way back home. He passed by a park, and in his worried state of mind, he almost didn’t notice Hermann walking along the sidewalk. Newt sighed in relief, glad to see a friendly face. He wanted nothing more that night than to see Hermann, so maybe this was the universe’s way of apologizing for throwing Hannibal at him.

He quickly pulled over, causing Hermann to look up in alarm as the car came up to him. However, he quickly smiled when Newt was the one to emerge and not some creepy stranger.“Hey!” Newt shouted, doing pretty well to hide any lingering trembling in his voice.

“Hello,” Hermann greeted him, a bit confused.

“Pretty crazy running into you here,” Newt chuckled. “So, what’re you doing here?” Newt asked before Hermann was able to ask the same thing. He didn’t want to have to answer him since that would mean bringing up Hannibal.

“Well,” Hermann began, looking up at the sky, “It’s a clear sky tonight, so I thought it might be nice to view it from the park. It’s surprisingly quiet here.”  
  
Newt nodded, stuffed his car keys into his pocket, and walked up to Hermann instead of continuing talking to him from a distance. “That’s because most people are inside having stupid parties.” Newt felt a bit bitter and completely regretted showing up to the party.

“Is that where you were?” Hermann asked.

Newt froze, trying to find a way to say he was at a party without hurting Hermann’s feelings for not inviting him. He finally gave a nod with a shrug. “I had a group of friends who really wanted me to go so I showed up for a bit. It was a bad idea,” he rubbed at his face, trying not to think about it. “Just be glad you weren’t there.”

“Did you want me there?” Hermann asked after a few moments, doing well to hide any disappointment. It was a direct question, which took Newt by surprise. He knew what Hermann was really asking, though.

“You have no idea how bad I would have wanted you there. But some of these kids get wild, and not in the good, fun-to-hang-out-with kind of way. I didn’t want both of us to be having a boring time,” Newt tried to explain. Hermann didn’t look _entirely_ too convinced, so Newt gave his shoulder a squeeze and added, “I’m going to have a _much_ better time tonight now that I ran into you, though.”

Nighttime disguised the blush that crept onto Hermann’s face. He was going to respond but then Newt grabbed him by the arm and gently tugged him along as he began to walk. “Come on, let’s go have a nice Halloween and gaze at some stars.”

Hermann allowed himself a smile, his way of showing Newt that he wasn’t mad. They stepped off of the sidewalk and went further into the park, passing a deactivated fountain and an empty playground where the toys sat idly. The stillness of the night would have been a bit creepy had Hermann not been by him, so instead the isolation was a comfort for Newt.

They reached a grassy area up on a small hill that was far from the road. They both laid down on the grass. Well, once Hermann found a spot dry enough for his liking. He pulled the hood of his jacket up to keep his head from touching the grass, which Newt found a bit amusing.

Newt took no precaution as he plopped down onto the grass, splayed out on the ground, his hands behind his head.

There was silence between them for a few minutes as they peacefully gazed at the stars before Newt heard Hermann speak softly, "The truth is, I’m out here to get away from my dad."

Newt rolled over to get a better view of his friend. "Is everything okay?" Newt asked, settling on his side with a small frown.

Hermann stared up at the stars a while longer. Even though it was dark, Newt could see Hermann's brow furrowed and him opening his mouth a few times to try to speak, but obviously not being able to find the right words.

"If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay." Newt offered a small smile and he watched Hermann shift to face him.

“My dad was drinking tonight.” Hermann finally admitted quietly. “I’m used to him getting mad at senseless things, but tonight he went off about how he’s ashamed of me. He wishes I didn’t spend so much time in books, thinking I’m just going to become a freak and a recluse."

Newt sat up fully now, looking into Hermann’s face, trying to find some comforting words to say. “God, I’m sorry. I didn’t know he got that bad.”

Hermann sat up as well, pulling his knees close to his chest. He nodded his head slowly, his eyes closed as to hold back any tears that were trying to escape. He tried to breathe evenly as he sorted out the maelstrom of thoughts in his head. His voice cracked when he continued, “I just don’t get it… How can a parent not accept their child for who they are?”

That hitch in Hermann’s voice struck Newt’s heart. He didn’t hesitate anymore, leaning over and enveloping Hermann in a hug. He held him tightly, pulling his head in close and stroking the soft hair. “Some parents will always put themselves first. But it’s never your fault when they do that. And you know what? You don’t need his approval. You’ve got me, and I already accept you for who you are.”

Hermann couldn’t hold back his tears any longer and they rolled down his cheeks as he let out a soft sob. He buried his face into Newton’s neck and gripped his shoulders with shaking hands. His voice was too tumultuous to say anything, his words getting caught in his throat.

Newt wanted to continue holding Hermann, but he also wanted to go seek out and punch Hermann’s dad square in the nose. That scenario wouldn’t play out too well though, so the best Newt could do to comfort him was to hold him and talk to him. “You’re amazing, Herm. Anyone who doesn’t see that is blind.”

Hermann froze at the nickname, causing Newt to think he’d done something wrong. “Ah, sorry. I guess you don’t like the nickname,” he said as he pulled back a bit.

Hermann’s cheeks colored, and he practically stuttered, “No, I don’t mind it at all. It’s just… no one’s given me a nickname before.” He looked off to the side before returning his gaze to Newt. “I like it.”

Newt raised an eyebrow and made a mental note to himself to use it more often.

Hermann smiled, the kind words having calmed him down. “Thank you so much, Newt. You’ve really made tonight nice.” He moved his hand wipe some of the tears off of his face, but Newt pulled the sleeve of his jacket over his hand and reached out to wipe his cheeks for him. Hermann became visibly flustered under Newt’s concentrating gaze and looked down at the grass between them.

Newt smiled at Hermann’s bashfulness but quickly joined that embarrassment when he realized how close he’d been lingering to Hermann’s face. A hand also still lingered on Hermann’s waist. He told himself to pull away, to stop staring so _intently_ at Hermann’s lips before things got really awkward, but moving away proved more difficult than he thought.

Hermann made no signs to pull away either, but he still couldn’t look back up into Newt’s eyes. “Do you mind if we stay here for a little while longer? I… don’t want to go back home until he’s asleep.”

“You don’t have to go back. Do you want to stay at my place tonight?” Newt decided to ask.

Hermann shook his head, admitting with disappointment, “As much as I want to, I better return home tonight or it might make this situation worse.”

Newt nodded in understanding, and finally decided to remove his hand from Hermann’s waist. “Any other time you wanna get away from him, just say the word. I’ll whisk you away like a damsel in distress.” Newt wasn’t sure why that stupid comment had slipped out of his mouth. He blamed it on the nervousness he felt from being so close to Hermann.

Hermann _was_ going to thank him again, until he heard that last comment. His eyes shot up to Newt’s. “D-Damsel? Me?” he sputtered. “Then wouldn’t that just make you a knight in shining armor?” he responded innocently.

The question was meant as a joke, honestly, but the implication behind it did not remain unseen to the two of them, and Newt suddenly found it hard to breathe. “Well, um, uh…”

Hermann went back to staring at the grass, tucking his face, which had turned all shades of red, deeply into his scarf.

Hermann’s embarrassment made Newt believe that maybe he wasn’t the only one harboring some feelings of deep affection. In fact, Newt wasn’t obtuse, and he had noticed the many times Hermann blushed under his gaze or whenever they got a little bit close together. But how could he know for sure?

He had two options: breaching the topic now, or saving it for possibly later, or never. Okay, so really he had three options, and they all made him nervous. He awkwardly played with the hem of his jacket, trying to decide which route he’d take.

His cowardice won out in the end as he finally replied, “Nah, I’d be more like Mario. Short and kind of plump, y’know.”

Hermann was glad to pick up this new topic of conversation, but it still left him with the less appealing role. “I’m Princess Peach now. Wonderful,” he grumbled in mock offense.

Newt laughed loudly, falling back onto the grass and clutching his stomach. He liked this new side of Hermann, the one quick to jump at playful bickering. He’d opened up to him a lot in two weeks and it made him extremely glad.

It took a while, but Newt finally stopped laughing long enough to speak. “Those should’ve been our Halloween costumes tonight.”

Herman glared down at him from over his shoulder, but the big, cheeky grin on Newt’s face quickly turned his scowl into a smile. “I’m extremely glad that wasn’t the case.”

As they talked for over an hour more that night, Newt decided that this was the best Halloween he ever had, even with his unfortunate run-in with Hannibal, so that really said a lot. Of course, getting Hermann into a Peach costume would’ve made it way better, but hey, he’d take what he could get.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took a little longer to get out! KSLady was out of town, but it's a bit longer than previous chapters so hopefully that makes up for it.  
> On another note, it seems we finally have some sort of conflict going on. Thought we'd only leave you with good-feeling fluff, didn't you?  
> Thanks for continuing to read, and we hope you enjoyed this chapter!


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